Compound-acting dies.



W. C. EDWARDS, J11. f 001111 011111) ACTING DIES. APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 24, 1913.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH cn.,wAsHmGTON. D. c.

WILLIAM G. EDWARDS, JR, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

COMPOUND-ACTING DIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 24, 1913.

Patented Dec.30, 1913. Serial No. 756,504.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. ED- WARDS, J r., a resident of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compound-Acting Dies, of which the following is a description, referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The invention relates particularly to a speedy and accurate means for forming corrugations in sheet metal plates or other material, which corrugations or grooves have their openings contracted with respect to their base or some portions between the base and such openings, the example illustrated in the accompanying drawings is the well known dovetail corrugation, it being understood that any other kind of grooved depression or corrugation may be formed by slight changes of the forming faces of the die. By my invention, such corrugations can be formed with one operation of the press and the material ejected from the die.

In the drawings, Figure 1. is a cross-sectional view of my invention, showing the hammer of the forming press together with the female die at the top of the stroke, and a sheet of metal ready for. forming. Fig. 2. is a cross-sectional view showing the haminer at the bottom of the stroke and the material properly formed between top and bottom dies. Fig. 3. shows one of the side wings of the female die. Fig. 4. is an isometric view of a portion of the male die holder. Fig. 5. is an isometric view of a mandrel of the male die. Fig. 6. is an end view representing the hammer and upper die on the upstroke showing material ready for release. Fig. 7. shows a modification of Fig. 2. to form a different article. Fig. 8. is an end view of a formed sheet of metal. Fig 9. is a side view of an end portion of the upper die and illustrates one method of locking the side wings, preventing prema ture opening.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding'parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1. is seen the hammer 10 of the forming press with a die holder 11 engaged therewith. Depending from this die holder 11 are seen two side wings 12 and 13 constituting the female die proper. As seen in Fig. 3. a wing 13 is fitted or formed with a curved portion 14 which engages within a slot 15 in the upper die holder 11, so that the wing is hinged and can swing and close as will be now described. As will be noted the portions l6 and 17' of these wings 12 and 13 are pressed against the respective edges 16 and 17 of the lower portions of the die holder 11, also that the portions 19 and 20 of said wings are below and inclined to the edge 18 of the die holder 11. It will be seen that these wings 12 and 13 are hanging in this position due to gravity and that the center of gravity of each wing is so located that a pressure exerted against the parts 21 and 22 of said wings will tend to close same, that is the parts 19 and 20 will come into contact with the part 18 of the die holder 11, and the edges 23 and 24 of said wings will come into contact.

Referring to Fig. 4. 25 represents a combined holder and die member. Grooves 26 and 27, slight-1y inclined at acute angles a and b to the vertical axis of the die (see Fig. 1.) provide guiding surfaces 26 and 2'? for the purpose further defined. At 28 and 29 are shown mandrels fitted to the grooves 26 and 27, the portion 30 of said mandrels and die holder being fashioned as the forming face of the male die.

A sheet of metal or other material 31 is laid on the male die and the hammer and top die descend, the curved forming edges of the upper wings 12 and 13 strike the sheet 31, then as the press continues on its downward travel, the pressure exerted on the parts 21 and 22 of the wings forces them to close as previously described, so that when the hammer and top die have reached the bottom of their stroke, the sheet 31 has been corrugated in the desired shape as in- Fig. 2. Now the wings 12 and 13 are seen in Fig. 2 gripping the formed material and if desired this position of the wings can be taken advantage of and be maintained during a portion of the travel of the hammer on the upstroke and thereby assist in the release of the formed material. If the wings 12 and 13 be locked and prevented from opening as the hammer rises on the upstroke of the press, said wings will raise the formed material 31 together with the mandrels 28 and 29, the said mandrels sliding upwardly along the inclined guiding surfaces 26 and 27 of the member 25 are thus drawn closer and closer together along their edges 50 until, when the upward stroke of the press has brought the several parts of the die into the position seen in Fig. 6 the mandrels are Kill) no longer gripped by the formed material and hence will not further ascend but tend to drop back into the position they occupy in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper portions of the die holder 25, being and 25, act as guides to assure proper reseating of such returning mandrels. Now the male die having been removed the wings 12 and 13 are allowed to expand thereby releasing the formed material. The wings however may be allowed to open naturally on the upward stroke and the formed material be released from the upper die, by raising the formed material by hand or in any other manner the mandrels may be raised to the position of escape shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 7 is seen a modification of the die seen in Fig. 2. By referring to Fig. 8 a finished sheet of metal 31 is seen, the corrugations 32 seen therein can be formed by the type of die seen in Figs. 1 and 2 but the corrugations 33 require a different forming die since the member 34: stands at right angles to the plane 35 of the sheet 31 between the corrugations 32 and 32. This modification is used to show one of the types of changes that can be made from the die seen in Figs. 1 and 2 without departing from the principle of the invention. In Fig. 7 only one inclined groove 36 is made in the die holder 37 and one mandrel 38 only is necessary, since the die holder 37 can have all the other desired forming face elements fashioned thereon which with the mandrel in its position as seen completes the lower or male die. Also one wing 39 alone is fitted to the die holder 40, said holder 10 having its lower surface fashioned to act with the forming face of wing 39 as the complete female die. A modification in the manner of forming the mandrels and grooves is seen in Fig. 7. The portion 3 above the dotted line, being the upper left hand part of the die holder 37, may be planed away so that the groove 36 will include all this space 37 in addition to the original groove 36. A mandrel 38 equal and similar in cross section to the combined area 37 plus 38 fits said groove 36, the right hand inclined edge of groove 36 beinclined ing identical to the same edge in groove 36' permits upward inclined travel of the mandrel 38 to effect release of the formed corrugation as previously described. A few guides 37 fitted to the outer edge of the diev holder Will assist the proper seating of the mandrel; or the sliding mandrels may be held against the inclined guiding surface of the die holder during the inclined travel of the mandrels by other means, such for instance as dovetail keys fitted to the mandrel member and traveling within dovetail slots cut in the face of the inclined guiding surface of the die holder. If desired the upper portions 25 and 25 of the die holder 25 (Fig. 1.) may be omitted from said die holder and the mandrels 28 and 29 enlarged in manner just described relating to the parts 37 and 38 Fig. 7. The process of forming the corrugation 33 and adjacent portions 34 and 35 in a sheet 31 is similar to the description of the action of the die shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for forming the corrugation 32.

It will be understood that it is impossible to show all the possible variations of dies and formed products that can be produced by means of my invention, and that the two forms illustrated are for the purpose of showing the manner and principle of forming and releasing this character of contracted corrugated material.

The axis of the dies as seen in Fig. 1, stands in a vertical plane, being preferably so employed so that the force of gravity may assist in the operation of the parts of the die; the dies however may be used in other positions and the axis of the dies stand either vertically, horizontally or inclined to best suit the operation of the forming press. Also, the dies may be reversed in position, that is, the parts 25, 2S and 29 constituting the top die and the parts 11, 12 and 13 the lower die. By reference to Fig. 6 in an upside down position, it will be seen that the mandrels 2S and 29 would tend to hang open by gravity, though the grooves being inclined would not allow the mandrels to drop out since they would come together along their edges 50. However the mandrel seen in Fig. 7 (upside down) would drop out unless some stop were provided to prevent. The wings 12 and 13 of a die like that shown in Fig. 6 reversed when closed would not tend to open up ready for a second operation, but would require to be opened. The mandrels of such an upper die might be locked when the die closed on the downstroke, then on the upstroke the mandrels would raise the wings and formed material, the wings remaining open, the mandrels then being released and permitted to drop to such a position that the grasping parts of the mandrels wouldipass through the opening in the formed corrugation, thereby releasing the material. The depending mandrels would be forced up into their respective slots, when they touched the material to be formed on the next downstroke, then as the pressure was continued on such downstroke, the bottom wings would be forced to close thereby completely forming the sheet into the desired shape. Wings when used in the bottom die will require the parts 16 and 17 of the die holder to be so positioned that the wings will not start to close until the upper die has reached the proper point on the down stroke, that is the wings must not be liable to close accidentally which would result in damage to the dies.

If necessary such wings may be held open by spring pressure to await the proper time for contraction.

Where a press is equipped with a double hammer and the article to be formed has corrugations of this contracted character which open in opposite directions, by fitting the two hammers of the press with two sets of dies using the principle of this invention, one set being set with the parts as in Fig. 2 and the other set being placed upside down, so to speak, it is possible to form the material by one passing through the press.

In Figs. 6 and 9 are illustrated one method of locking the wings 12 and 13. A device 41 is hinged to the die holder 11 at 42, said device 41 having a hook portion 43 which engages a recess or slot 44 in the ends of the upper die holder 11 and wings 12 and 13 when in the position shown in Fig. 2. When the position seen in Fig. 6 is reached, the

handle 45 of the device 41 is pulled thereby unlocking the wings which are then free to open. This handle 36 can be operated by hand or geared to the press. The device 41 may be fitted with spring attachment and released by striking a trip at the desired position on the upstroke.

By reference to Fig. 6. it will be noted that the forming corners of the mandrels may be subjected to considerable wear from rubbing against the formed corrugation inthe releasing operation on the upstroke of the press as previously described. This may be wholly counteracted by extending extra hook portions of thedevice 41 to engage the slots 44 in the mandrels of the lower die when closed as in Fig. 2. so that on the upstroke of the press, Fig. 6. such modified latch device 41 will not only look the wings and formed material but will also mechanically raise the mandrels, the inclined guides immediately guiding the mandrels 'so that the forming corners of the mandrels are removed from the sides of the corrugation without the wearing rubbing action that might attend the previously described method of release. When the mandrels reach such a position that they may pass through the opening in the formed corrugated material, the portion of the device 41 engaging the slots 44 of the mandrels is released and the mandrels then drop as previously described, the portion 43 of the device is then released from the slots 44 in the members of the upper die, thereby releasing the wings and the formed material.

The mandrels of a reversed or upside down die can be prevented from opening permaturely by a device similar to 41. Said device being hinged to such upper die holder 25, recesses 44 being made in the die holder 25 and mandrels 2-8 and 29 to engage a hook on such device.

Such other modifications may be employed as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination in a press for forming contracted corrugations in sheets or plates, a compound acting die comprising an expansible and contractible outer female die and an inner male die; said male die comprising a die holder fitted with a mandrel member adapted to slide, in a direction slightly inclined to the axis of said die, along a guiding surface fashioned on said die holder.

2. In combination in a press for forming contracted corrugations in sheets or plates, a compound acting die comprising an expansible and contractible outer female die and an inner male die; said male die comprising a die holder having two mandrel members seated therein and adapted to slide outwardly from their seats in said die holder, in directions slightly inclined to the axis of said die, along inclined guiding surfaces fashioned on said die holder.

3. In combination in a press for forming contracted corrugations in sheets or plates, a compound acting die comprising a die holder fitted with expansible and contractible portions constituting a female die, and an inner male die comprising a die holder fitted with a mandrel member adapted to slide along a guiding surface fashioned on said die holder, in a direction inclined to the axis of said die; and means for preserving contraction of the female die during a portion of the travel on the release stroke of the press and means for moving and governing the action of the sliding mandrel.

4. In combination in a press for forming contracted corrugations in sheets or plates, a compound acting die comprising a die holder fitted with expansible and contractible portions constituting a female die, and an inner male die comprising a die holder having two mandrel members seated therein and adapted to slide outwardly from their seats in said holder, along inclined guiding surfaces fashioned on said die holder, in directions slightly inclined to each other; and means for preserving contraction of the female die during a portion of the travel on the release stroke of the press and means for moving and governing the action of said mandrel members.

lVILLIAM C. EDWARDS, JR.

Witnesses:

.H. G. ELDER,

D. H. HOCKENSMITI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

